Packaging



Nov. 9, 1965 R. R. HEMANN 3,216,645

PACKAGING Filed Jan. 15, 1964 1N VENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,216,645 PACKAGING Ronald R. Heimann, NewDouglas, Ill., assigner to Alton Box Board Company, Alton, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Filed `Ian. 15, 1964, Ser. No. 337,802 4 Claims.(Cl. 229-52) This invention relates generally to packaging, andparticularly to the application of handles to cartons and containers.

While the art abounds with instances in which cartons and containershave been constructed with integated handle parts, in the case ofcartons made of paperboard and the like, the provision of such a handlehas required either extensive, and sometimes prohibitive, amounts ofhand labor, or the provision of expensive equipment whose utility islimited to the particular carton or container at hand. In either event,the provision of such handles on cartons and containers has involved anexpense which has largely limi-ted their application.

The object of the present invention, generally stated, is to provide asimple, cheap, and easily installed handle for a carton or containerwhich may be used or not, depend-ing upon the will of the packer or theconsumer, and which is universally applicable to packages of varioussorts and sizes.

Generally' stated, the invention contemplates the provision of a handleplate made of paperboard, or other suitable material, having a tonguepart either integral with it, or otherwise securely connected to it, andwhich, when inserted on the interior of a carton or container andaligned with the hole in the exterior wall thereof, may be pulledthrough the hole at will, and used as a handle, or retracted toinoperative position within the container.

'More speciiically, the invention contemplates such a handle plate inwhich a tongue is incised from the body thereof so as to leave one endof the tongue rooted in cantilever fashion to the body of the plate,while at its opposite end, the tongue is provided with an enlarged headportion; and between the root end and the head end of the tongue, thereis a slender elongated section suitable for gripping in the hand, andmade somewhat longer than a cooperating hole to be provided in theexterior wall of a carton or container, and through which the slenderportion of the tongue may be drawn from the interior to the exterior toserve such purposes.

One embodiment of the Iinvention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a carton provided with a handleconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the handled carton ofFIGURE l is made;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 4 of FIGURE 2, andshowing in dotted lines the position of the head of the tongue when thehandle is in use;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5 5, and showing in dottedlines the position of the tongue relative to the contents of the packagewhen the handle is in use;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of an exterior Wall of a cartonappropriately punched for use with the form of handle plate shown inFIGURE 7;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the handle plate.

The carton or container to which the handle plate of the presentinvention is applied may be of any chosen style or construction, andthat shown in the drawings is rice merely to illustrate a typicalcontainer or carton with which the handle plate of the present inventionmay be selectively combined, and used or not as desired. The form ofcontainer illustrated is of a type commonly used for packing twenty-fourcans of beer, and is shown generally in U.S. Patent No. 2,990,992.

In the form shown, the carton 1 is made from a blank, shown in fulllines in FIGURE 2, which consists of a number of panels (each of whichbecomes a confining wall of the nal carton) and flaps, including a panel2 selected as the one upon which to provide a handle, it beingunderstood, however, that the handle may be provided on any chosen panelof the container which ultimately becomes one of its confining walls.The container illustrated may be identical with other containers out ofthe same production lot which are not equipped with handles. In otherwords, from a given production lot, some may be selected to be providedwith handles, while others may be selected to go unequipped withhandles. In such case, the only ditference between the blanks made foruse with handles and the blanks made for use without handles is theprovision in the former of a bowitie-shaped hole 3. Indeed, in manysituations, the entire production run of the cartons .may be providedwith such holes, and the handle applied to only some of them, while thebalance are either left open or otherwise closed, as the handle of thepresent invention is of a character such that it may be applied eitherin the box factory or at the point of packing, or, indeed, at the pointwhere it goes into the hands of the ultimate consumer, provided thecarton blank have formed in it a hole of a configuration such as to passthe slender portion of the tongue in the handle plate now to bedescribed.

The handle plate 4, in the form shown, is a rectangular piece ofmaterial, such as paperboard, from the midsection of which there isincised, or blanked out with a Icuttling die, a tongue 5. The tongue 5preferably remains integral with Ithe plat-e 4 at the root end 6 of thetongue, and is not thereadjacent operated upon in any way which wouldsubstantially reduce the strength of the junction between the root endof the tongue and the body of the plate. However, along the slenderportion of tongue 5, it is desirable to provide a series of spaced scorelines 7, on the underside thereof, to facili-tate bending of the tongueinto conformity with a hand which grips it in use. At its opposite end,the tongue 5 is provided with a head S having, at its proximal side, apair of shoulders 9 of a width substantially greater than the slenderintermediate part of tongue 5. Where the handle plate is provided in acontainer wherein the contents, such as can C, are disposed so as tointerfere (as shown in FIGURE 5) with downward movement of head 3relative to the body of plate 4, the plate 4- is cut out adjacentshoulders 9 to provide an opening lll of Width no less than shoulders 9,and extending toward the root end 6 for a distance suicient to permitmovement of head 8 in the plane of plate 4 until it clears the crest ofcan C and can move downwardly into the space between adjacent cans intothe posiltion shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5. The plate 4 is furthercut out adjacent the intermediate portion of tongue 5 to leave openspaces 11 for a purpose later to be described.

As will be observed from FIGURES 2 and 6, the hole 3 in panel 2 of thecarton blank is provided with arcuate enlargements 12 at the centerthereof. The arcuate enlargements l2 correspond in size andconfiguration to the open spaces il in plate 4, and are intended to bealigned with each other when the handle plate is applied to the cartonor carton blank. When thus aligned, the open spaces lll, together withthe arcuate enlargements l2, provide access from the exterior forfingers to grip the 3 tongue 5 and draw it outwardly int-o the archedcondition shown clearly in FIGURE 1, and shown in dotted lines inFIGURES 4 and 5.

Given a carton blank provided with a hole, such as 3, in a positionwhere it is desired to apply a handle and of size suihcient toaccommodate the passage therethrough of the slender intermediate portionof tongue 5, the plate 4 -can readily be applied to the underside of thepanel, such as 2. In so applying it, the openings 11 and 12 are alignedwith each other as aforesaid, so that the head 8 of tongue 5 extendsoutwardly beyond the nearest terminus of hole 3, and the root end 6 isadjacent the opposite terminus of hole 3 as shown clearly in FIGURE 5.The plate 4 may, if desired, be connected to panel 2 by adhesive,stapling, or otherwise, provided no part of tongue 5 (including head 8and root end 6) be so secured. In many instances, however, it isunnecessary to positively connect plate 4 to panel 2, or any other.portion of the carton, as the contained merchandise will serve to holdit in position where the intermediate portion of tongue 5 is accessiblefor gripping through openings 12 from the exterior; and the constructionis such that, particularly when plate 4 is of dimension substantiallycorresponding to the dimensions of the panel to which it is applied, nopositive connection between the two is necessary because the strainsimparted by the load yof the contents are sustained by the plate 4. Inany event, the tongue 5 must be of sufficient strength to sustain suchload, and consequently any tendency to tear occurs within the plate 4,and not within panel 2 of the carton. Adequate strength for such purposecan readily be built into plate 4, as, for example, with a carton of thecharacter and for the purpose described, plate 4 may be made of threeplies of ninety-pound Kraft Liner laminated together, with the grain ofat least the two outer plies running in the direction indicated by thearrow in FIGURE 7. As clearly shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 5,when the handle is in operative position, the load is sustained at oneend of tongue 5 by engagement between shoulders 9 and the underside ofplate 4 at the proxima-l end of openings 10. At the other end of tongue5, the load is transmitted to the body of plate 4 through the root endof the tongue, and any tendency to tear at this position is alleviatedby the provision of slits 13 flaring outwardly at an angle of about 45.Such slits relieve excessive concentrations of stress at the junctionbetween the root end 6 and the body of plate 4, and thereby minimize thetendency to tear.

When, as shown in FIGURE 2, the panel opposite panel 2 is equipped forripping, more or less in line with a vertical center plane through thecompleted package shown in FIGURE 1, and it is desired that .panel 2 actas a hinge, and for this purpose is provided with discontinuous slits 14in its end ilaps, the handle plate 4 may be provided with longitudinallyextending, `centrally disposed, siits 15 and 16. When the plate 4 isapplied to the carton or its blanks, slits 15 and 16 maybe aligned withdiscontinuous slits 14, and thus panel 2 is permitted readily to foldalong a line extending generally between opposite slits 14 and therebyact as a hinge in the process of opening the package. In practice, theslits 15 and 16, if terminated a quarter to a half-inch away from theroot end 6 and the head 8 of tongue 5, do not substantially impair theload-carrying capacity of the handle; and the plate 4 does not preventfolding of panel 2, as above described, in the process of opening.

While, in the embodiment described, plate 4 is made entirely separatefrom the blank of the carton or container, it is to be understood that,under many circumstances and conditions, it may be desirable to form theplate as a ap adjacent the panel in which the handle is desired. Thismay be done by folding the flap back beneath the panel provided with thehole to accommodate tongue 5, and then providing the manufacturers jointof the carton or container at the corner where the flap constitutingplate 4 was infolded.

From the foregoing description, those skilled in th art should readilyunderstand that the invention accom plishes its objects and provides auniversally applicable handle which may be applied with great facilityto any package having a hole of size and configuration such as toaccommodate the passage of the intermediate section of tongue 5, andwithout necessitating complicated or expensive operations either in theinitial manufacture of the container blank or in the process of itsassemblyl While the foregoing disclosure illustrates one forrn in whichthe invention may be applied to a typical carton or container, it is notto be understood that the invention is limited to the form of package,or the form of handle plate, shown in the drawings and heretoforedescribed in detail. On the contrary, it is to be distinctly understoodthat the invention is applicable at large to cartons, containers, andother packages wherein a hole is, or can be, provided to accommodate thepassage of the slender portion of a tongue, such as 5, from the interiorto the exterior. Many modifications, adaptations and variations of theform shown in the accompanying drawings will inevitably presentthemselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spiritof this invention, and consequently it is to be distinctly understoodthat the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoingdisclosure.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a container for cans ai'A ranged in a rowparallel with a side of the container, of a plate interposed between theinterior of said side and the exterior of the cans in the nearest row,said plate having a tongue integral therewith at its root end butsevered therefrom at the opposite end, said opposite end being ofsubstantially greater width than the intermediate portion of the tongue,being substantially tangent with one of the cans and terminatingproximally in shoulders extending substantially parallel with the axesof said cans, said plate being cut out adjacent said shoulders to permitmovement of said opposite end toward said root end for a distancesufficient to permit said opposite end to move out of the plane of saidplate and into the space between cans in said row.

2. The combination with a container packed with cans arranged in rowswith their axes parallel with a con fining side of the container, of aplate interposed between the interior of said side and the exterior ofthe cans in the nearest row, said plate having a tongue caged in theplane thereof and integral therewith at at least one point but severedfrom said plate for the major portion of its periphery, said tonguehaving at least one terminal portion of substantially greater width thanthe central portion thereof, said terminal portion:

(a) being substantially tangent with one of the cans when said centralportion is caged in the plane of said plate;

(b) terminating proximate said central portion in shoulders extendingsubstantially parallel with the axes of said cans;

said plate being cut out proximally adjacent said shoulders to permitmovement of said terminal portion while caged in the plane of said platefor a distance sufficient to remove it from tangence with said can andbring it into position above a space between cans in which latterposition said terminal portion is free to rock:

(i) out of caged relation in the plane of said plate, (ii) into thespace between cans in said nearest roW,.

and

(iii) into position where said shoulders transmit force to said plate ina direction substantially normal tol the plane of said plate at theproximal Quid, of said cut-out.

3. For use with a carton having confining walls one of which has anopening, a flat handle plate of paper-like material dirnensioned tounderlie said one confining Wall, said plate and provide a handleengageable through said opening, said plate having a tongue encaged inthe plane thereof, said tongue being severed from the substance of saidplate throughout the major portion of the periphery of said tongue butsaid tongue being Connected to the substance of said plate at at leastone point, said tongue having a slender central portion and at leastIone terminal portion of substantially greater Width than said centralportion; and said plate being cut out adjacent the proxirnal side ofsaid tongue terminal portion to provide space into which said terminalportion may move a substantial distance While caged in the plane of saidplate, and said cut-out terminating proximally in a shoulder parallelwith said tongue shoulder but of substantially less extent than saidtongue shoulder.

4. The handle plate of claim 3 having but one of said terminal portions,and wherein said point is included in a force-transmitting rootconnection at the end of said tongue remote from said terminal portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,365,887 12/44Lind 229--52 2,640,645 6/53 Brown 229-52 2,645,407 7/ 53 Bergotein229-52 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,071,783 3/54 France.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A CONTAINER FOR CANS ARRANGED IN A ROW PARALLELWITH A SIDE OF THE CONTAINER, OF A PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE INTERIOROF SAID SIDE AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE CANS IN THE NEAREST ROW, SAID PLATEHAVING A TONGUE INTEGRAL THEREWITH AT ITS ROOF AND END BUT SEVEREDTHEREFROM AT THE OPPOSITE END, SAID OPPOSITE END BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLYGREATER WIDTH THAN THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE TONGUE, BEINGSUBSTANTIALLY TANGENT WITH ONE OF THE CANS AND TERMINATING PROXIMALLY INSHOULDERS